Idaho bar drops Miller, Coors, Pepsi over support of LGBT commerce

WAHA, Idaho — A popular bar in Northern Idaho is no longer selling products from MillerCoors brewing or PepsiCo., because those corporations support the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Mike and Mari Fuller, owners of Waha Bar and Grill, are unabashedly anti-LGBT, and said that the MillerCoors’ and Pepsi’s values do not align with their own anti-gay, Christian beliefs.

“The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is an entity that collects money from major corporations to further promote policies for the gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders,” Mike Fuller told KLEW-TV in Lewiston. “And as Christians, we don’t support that.”

The Fullers said they openly disagree with issues such as marriage equality, and aren’t concerned if that means they lose some customers.

A MillerCoors spokesperson said the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is just one of many organizations “we are proud to support.”

“MillerCoors has a strong track record of supporting the diversity of our employees as well as the communities in which we work and live. Due to the diversity and breadth of our consumers and because we believe in supporting the many communities we serve, we support myriad organizations across the country,” said Karina Diehl.

It is not just MillerCoors and Pepsi products that the Fullers take issue with. At the bottom of their online menu, they warn patrons of the more than 100 national brands and corporate sponsors that support the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

“We are Christians who do not believe in supporting the goals and the politicians who support the goals of the NGLCC,” according to their website.

“The NGLCC works to secure a culture where gay people, including young adults, do not feel bullied,” said Rich Ferraro, a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). “It’s unfair policies like this that contribute to bullying and can even lead to violence.”